Chapter 7:

Burning, Angry, Confusion

Draco's POV

I wasn't sure why I was still sitting here to be completely honest. The death threat looks I was getting from Potty and the Weasel were definitely something I could live without. Not that they were particularly threatening—it just looked like they were really constipated and it was slightly irritating. I mean, leave it to Granger to completely blow her cover by taking a rogue bludger to the head and needing me to actually notice because even though Potty and the Weasel were acting like Granger was their concern, they didn't even notice that she had fallen so violently. And then she had to start bleeding while I had her lifted up in my arms and I didn't want to move her off of me because then she'd just bleed some more. So obviously, Potty and the Weasel took some more offense because of that giant stick up both of their asses and then decided to accuse me of being like Bellatrix—which overstepped everything, but who cares. Because who the fuck gives a shit about Potty and the Weasel. Oh that's right—the entire fucking Wizarding world. And people wondered why I wanted both of them dead. Well not dead I suppose. Potter had saved my life a few times. But that was neither there nor here in my opinion.

"Ron, let's go get some coffee," Potty said, turning to his boyfriend.

"No, fuck that. I'm staying right here." I didn't say anything, even though I wanted to.

"What do you think is going to happen, Ron? Poppy is right here. Please, just—you're really stressed, and she's obviously going to be okay."

"Fine," he snapped and shot me a nasty look as he walked out.

I just stayed where I was, watching Granger. She looked fine now. She was supposed to already have woken up actually. Just as I was thinking this, one of her eyes opened and she groaned.

"Thought he'd never leave," she whispered.

"Granger, what the hell?"

"I know what I did," she said quietly, fiddling with the sheet. "I said… I said your name. Your first name. And I didn't mean to… oh Merlin, Ron—I feel like crap," she cried.

"Oh for fuck's sake, stop crying," I snapped, unable to stop myself. "That twat will probably understand that we're not enemies, alright? And it's unrealistic to think that they won't know for long. The fucking entire school knows."

"The school thinks we're acquaintances for Head Boy Head Girl's sake," she objected.

"Are we not?" I asked. She stared.

"I thought we were—you know—friends? But that's probably the concussion speaking—never mind, forget about it, right?"

"Granger," I said, "we are friends you numbskull."

"She's up?" Weasel said, running into the room. I watched as he ran up to Granger and took her hand. "Hermione, I think you got a really bad concussion—you were blabbering all sorts of weird things." he said.

"Right," she said, "no actually Malfoy and I are friends."

He looked like someone had slapped him. I found it comical and kept a straight face when he turned to glare at me. But instead of Weasel lunging at me like I expected, Potter had me pinned to the wall, wand at my throat in a second.

"Harry!" I heard two voices yell and saw the Weasley girl running into the hospital wing, her eyes wide at the scene.

"Let go of me," I choked out.

"What kind of bullshit are you playing at Malfoy?" Potter seethed. "What the fuck did you do to her?"

"I didn't fucking do anything," I spit. "Can't you wankers get it into your thick fucking heads that maybe—just maybe—Granger and I got to know each other?"

"If she got to know you, then she'd hate you," the Weasel said. He turned to Granger. "Are you imperioused love?"

"NO RONALD!" she yelled at him. He took a step back. "HARRY, LET HIM GO RIGHT NOW!" I was dropped to the floor like a stack of bricks. The bastard had petrified me.

I heard Madam Pomfrey's angry footsteps. I would've looked up, but I couldn't because of fucking Potter. "What is the meaning of this?" she hissed angrily. "Miss Granger needs REST. A hospital wing is not a place to—what happened to Mr. Malfoy?"

"Harry—unpetrify him, now," I heard the Weasley girl threaten. I felt something being lifted off of me and I jumped up and would've lunged at Potter if there wasn't a shield of some sort blocking me from doing so.

I looked around for the source and saw Granger with her wand out.

"For fuck's sake," I said, got up and slammed myself down on a chair far away from these idiots.

"Language," Madam Pomfrey said angrily in my direction. "In all my years—you four—Granger, Potter, Weasley, and Malfoy—have caused more trouble for this hospital wing than I can even—and Potter and Weasley—you don't even go here anymore and so I think that someone needs to leave, or QUIET DOWN!" she bellowed the last part and then stormed back to her office.

"Can someone explain what the hell is going on?" Potter asked.

"I can't believe you," I heard the Weasley girl snap at him. "I thought that Ron would do something like that, but not you. You're supposed to be forgiving, Harry, that's what I love in you. But instead, you're just a complete tosser like everyone else, right?"

"Gin—" I heard Potter protest. "I just—seriously think something's going down here and I don't like it. Don't you think something's weird about this situation?"

"Of course I do. But I trust Hermione, as you should too. I trust her enough not to jinx Malfoy to the ground." Why all these people thought they could just easily jinx me to the ground, I had no idea. I was stronger and better equipped than all of these idiots.

"You know," I managed to drawl out, "I am sittingright here."

"Congratulations," the Weasel snapped at me. "We are all aware."

"Can you two please—just—all of you," Granger said, sounding like she was about to cry, "stop it?"

"I'm just going to leave," I said, standing up. "I seem to be exacerbating the situation and I don't want Granger here to start bawling."

"Malfoy," Granger said quietly, "I'm sorry about this whole thing." She said.

"We'll talk later. Just—get some rest," I said, and left the hospital wing, irritated.

I rounded the corner only to come across Astoria, who was leaning against a wall, filing her nails. She grinned when I came around.

"You know," she said, "you're very believable, Malfoy."

"What do you want me to do?" I snapped. "Leave her there after she'd been hit by a bludger? I'm not a fucking monster. Plus, I'm trying to make this believable."

"Yes, yes—but carrying her all the way there—staying there until she woke up despite the Golden Duo's death threats. Honorable. The school is on fire with rumors. It's entertaining, and I'm proud of you, Draco," she said, winking."

She might've felt proud, but I didn't really. This whole farce was just—it made me confused. I wasn't supposed to actually like Granger. Not like that—I wasn't attracted to her or anything—but I liked her as a person. She was intelligent, funny, and nothing like I was raised to think a Muggleborn was. She was smarter than most of the purebloods I knew—most of the wizards and witches I knew in general.

It confused me like no one's business and if fucking Astoria wouldn't have put me up to this, I wouldn't have felt this way ever. But then I was against the wall and she had her lips on mine and every single thought flew out of my head except for the amazing smell that was engulfing me. Her black hair felt so soft between my fingers and I hungrily kissed her back, pushing my tongue in between her lips. She kissed me just as hungrily, fueling my passion. I turned and pinned her against the wall and breathing hard, we began to fumble with each other's clothes. Just as my hand slipped underneath her blouse and my lips found its way to her soft, beautiful, long neck, she began to push me away. I almost kept going, but suddenly remembered myself and pulled back. Lips swollen and hair tousled, she was still as beautiful as ever.

"Why'd you stop?" I gasped out, still standing close to her. She slipped out from under me and smiled.

"That was good. I haven't felt like that in a long time, to be honest."

"Me neither," I said.

"I'm just reminding you," she said. "Why you're doing this—because you seemed angry with me."

"I just don't understand why this is the way to do this," I objected—but I knew how weak it sounded. I'd probably move mountains to kiss her like that again.

"Because," she said, shrugging, "I'm tired of seeing Granger strut around here like she owns the place and not giving anyone any attention."

I smirked. "You're jealous of her?"

She looked offended. "That is obviously not true," she said. "She's nothing but a Mudblood."

"An intelligent mudblood, who makes good grades, is Head Girl, and every teacher loves as if she were their own daughter."

"Malfoy," she said, sounding really angry, "your assumptions are completely wrong."

"Alright," I said with a smirk. "well then, I'm just going to head over to my room and make sure everything's comfortable for Granger."

"Alright," she snapped. "Don't expect anymore make out sessions until you break her heart."

"We'll see about that," I said, deepening my smirk and leaning toward her slightly. Her breath caught in her throat and she took a step back. A second later, I watched as she walked away, her long, slightly tousled hair swishing behind her. I had really touched a nerve. And I was back—as far as she was concerned. I was playing the game just as well as she could. And I didn't even have to bring Granger into any of this.

I felt a blanket being placed on me and I opened my eyes to see Granger walking away from me, looking completely fine. "Granger?" She stopped and turned. I take what I said back—she looked like hell. I sat up and pat the seat next to me. She came over and sat down and covered her knees with the green blanket. "What's wrong?" I asked. "Are you –um feeling okay?"

"Fine. Pomfrey is the best," she said, but dully.

"Well then, what else is wrong?"

"I just—Ron and Harry won't speak to me," she said, tears in her eyes. "They think I'm going crazy and want me to stop—and I just defended you and Ron blew up and accused me of falling for you and being naïve, and it's just—"

I wanted to reach over and touch her, push her hair behind her ears, and this scared the shit out of me. And so I did the opposite and moved away from her.

"Right," I said, "well I'm going to go to bed, Granger, so I'll see you in the morning when you're not blubbering like a fucking mudblood two year old." Her brown eyes widened and her mouth opened slightly.

"What?"

"You heard me," I snapped, and stood up and went to my room, slamming the door behind me. I immediately punched the wall, hard, in my room. It immediately repaired itself and I did it again. I heard soft tapping on my door and ignored it, punching hard into a different part of the wall. I just wanted to leave all of today behind, somewhere far, far away. It was stupid. Everything was fucking stupid.

And at the end of the day—at the end of every fucking single day—my name is Draco Malfoy and hers is Hermione Granger. And I grew up an asshole death eater pureblood and she grew up a goody two shoes mudblood.

I fell asleep with blood running down my knuckles and burning, angry, confusion.